The Super Eagles of Nigeria have officially punched their ticket to the AFCON 2025 Round of 16 following a pulsating 3-2 victory over the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Saturday night, December 27, 2025.
What appeared to be a comfortable night for Nigeria turned into a “nail-biter” as a dominant three-goal lead nearly evaporated in the final fifteen minutes of the match at the Complexe Sportif de Fès.
Nigeria’s attacking trident was in devastating form for the first 70 minutes, systematically dismantling the Tunisian defence:-
Notably, after missing two early headers, Victor Osimhen, the Galatasaray talisman, broke his tournament drought by powering home a teasing cross from Ademola Lookman, and just five minutes after the restart, the captain rose highest to meet another Lookman delivery, heading in his first-ever international goal for Nigeria.
While the “Man of the Match” capped a brilliant performance by finishing off a fluid team move, firing low into the net after a clever unselfish lay-off from Osimhen.
Leading 3-0, Nigeria appeared to take their foot off the gas, allowing Tunisia to mount a spirited late rally where Montassar Talbi, the Tunisian defender pulled one back with a glancing header from a Hannibal Mejbri free-kick.
A VAR review also confirmed a handball by Bright Osayi-Samuel, allowing Ali Abdi to convert from the penalty spot and set up a frantic seven minutes of stoppage time.
However, Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and the Nigerian defense endured a “siege” in the closing moments, with Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi twice coming within inches of a dramatic equalizer.
Consequently, with two wins from two matches, Nigeria sits comfortably at the top of Group C.
| Team | Played | Points | GD | Status |
| Nigeria 🇳🇬 | 2 | 6 | +2 | Qualified |
| Tunisia 🇹🇳 | 2 | 3 | +1 | Pending |
| Tanzania 🇹🇿 | 2 | 1 | -1 | Pending |
| Uganda 🇺🇬 | 2 | 1 | -2 | Pending |
Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle praised his team’s “aggression and speed” but issued a stern warning regarding the late-game lapses:
“We must learn how to manage games better until the final whistle. These are the situations that help a team grow, but in the knockout stages, such mistakes are fatal.”
